Internet
by Passivity
Summary: It's not the best way to meet people, but it most certainly is the fastest. Rewritten and re-posted.
1. Network Hook Ups

_**A/N:** Rewrote this this as promised. At first I thought I'd just replace the chapters, but I remember that people all but stopped leaving reviews on any of my Bakugan fics so who the hell cares. Better let everyone know than let this story keel over itself and die in the throes of discontinuation..._

_If you haven't figured out by now that the owner of the Bakugan series will never resort to writing fanfiction of his/her own show... Then I pity you..._

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><p><em><strong>01. Network Hook Ups<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>-000-<strong>_

Honestly.

Why he let himself get talked into doing this he would never know. It was just another one of Dan's ridiculous ideas to get him to socialize and he couldn't understand why he even decided to humor him this time. The task was simple enough, get online and chat with whomever it was whose face popped up next to the brunette's. Hopefully it would be someone sane. Soon enough, Shun felt the corner of his lips drop at the thought that the person might not be and that he'd end up getting himself caught in one of Dan's horribly concocted and badly humored jokes.

"Hey! Don't frown so much or you might scare them away!" So his best friend says. It was something that he found difficult to do. Shun was a perpetual frowner at heart and when he smiled then there had to be a good reason for it.

One that didn't usually involve getting reeled into one of Dan's absurd ideas.

"Come on man. Don't be such a downer! You haven't even met them yet!" Not a moment after the brunette had said that, someone had joined them. A small square frame popped up on his screen right next to Dan's. From that one glance that he took of her alone, Shun decided that this was definitely someone that he did want to meet, or to associate with for that matter.

This someone happened to have tan skin with long white hair that was tied in a neat little ponytail wearing what looked like a pink sleeveless tracksuit that cut right above and bared her midriff … Too much of her midriff. Yup…

He guessed it.

"Hey Dan! How's it goin'!"

Foreigner and, judging from her poorly disguised accent, Australian. Not that he was xenophobic or anything, but still… A foreigner? Didn't he have enough of those around him?

Shun started grumbling, the frown on his face grew even more menacing when a telltale squeal told him that she had finally taken notice of him. "OMG! Is that him! Tell me that's him! He is so cute!"

Dan's hot-bloodedness he could put up with, but this, this he knew was going to be a lot of work. He didn't even know this girl, weren't from the same continent even! Cultural differences, and personal matters and conflicts, kept him away from most of the social world, so what was it that made Dan think that he'd want to _'get together'_ with someone that he didn't share any particular kind of similarities with? Not to mention that their differences would build itself a wall in between.

Was this even safe he wondered? Last time he heard that scandals and pornography became viral through these very means of communication…

…

Come to think of it… Hadn't Dan said before that he'd _**enjoy**_ himself?

…

"Umm… Yeah. Like, he's so scaring me right now…"

"'Dude! What are you scowling for? Just talk and make friends! There's more people coming soon-"

Wait… More?

Oh shit.

"-don't want to have to tell them that you're being a grouch, which you are!"

"Like, yeah! Turn that big ol' frown upside down! I'm sure you'll make tons of friends if you do!" As if to emphasize, the girl smiled widely and started jumping around, causing the webcam that she was using to violently shake in a way that made Shun question how it had yet to topple over.

Somehow he felt something resembling dread pile up underneath his skin.

"…! Uhhhh… You're like, not looking too cute right now…"

…

…

"H-hey buddy… You okay? Your right eye's twitching…"

This was going to be one long night.

_**-000-**_

"O-kay. So maybe that wasn't such a good idea..."

"Oh, you think?" Shun replied, an irritated tone lacing his voice. He ran a hand through his hair, disheveled from his constant attempts to not tear his hair out during the whole ordeal and leaned back against his computer chair. He never wiped that glare off of his face that Dan started to wonder if it had become permanently plastered there.

"Well… I knew that it wasn't gonna work… But-!"

"But what? How many more of your so called e-friends are you going to introduce to me before you get it through your head that I don't want any of them?" So far he'd met a little blonde boy whose age didn't match his size, a blue haired girl who had issues with her temper, a girly guy who looked like he needed to get out and get under the sun, and that girl he'd met first that busted his ear drums when she kept squealing about how cute everyone was and how well they were going to get along.

It had been torture.

"Don't do this to me again, Dan."

"Sure, sure… But I can't help but think I'm forgetting someone but… Yeah. It's pretty late so I guess I'll head on to bed." And with a small beep, Dan's face disappeared from his screen, leaving Shun with a few more words to ponder on for the night. Forgetting someone?

All that people and he still thought that he was _forgetting_ someone? Typical Dan, so absentminded at times that it actually hurts.

He looked to the lower right hand corner of his computer screen to see that it was, in fact, late. Twenty-nine minutes before midnight to be exact. That was way past his scheduled sleeping hour. He leant back against his computer chair, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose before staring back at his still lit screen, mentally preparing himself to shut the computer down without throwing a fit due to the stress that he's built up over the course of time that Dan had taken to make him socialize over the internet; he was never doing this again, not with Dan at least. Call him old fashioned but he'd rather have to deal with people in person where body language could be taken seriously rather than in front of a screen in another part of the world.

His hand was just about to find its way back on top of the mouse when a sudden beep made him stop- No.

It was not that sound that made him stop.

It was what caused it that did.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late! I had to help my gran- Oh dear."

… Whoah. There was another face in his monitor, a beautiful one.

For once in the course of that evening, Shun actually wanted to know who else it was that Dan had pulled into his little scheme. He blinked once, twice, before his jaw dropped in realization that, whoever she was, she was definitely not leaving his screen anytime soon. Wow, just wow. She looked a little too way out of Dan's league to even be connected to tonight's activities.

Which part of the world did Dan find her? Better yet, how'd Dan even met her in the first place?

"O-Oh. Are you- and everyone else-? N-never mind. I guess _'a little late'_ is not the right thing to say in this kind of situation..." She was gorgeous; the way tipped her head innocently to the side followed by that nervous, yet angelic laugh made his heart beat loudly against his chest. Will she leave? She probably would considering the fact that didn't have what people would call a _'friendly face'_. So he wouldn't be surprised if she just left out of fear… Or something along those lines.

"But…"

Wait, what? She was thinking about staying, this late at night?

"Since I'm here, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Alice Gehabich, it's a pleasure to meet you." That smile, god that smile. It was so bright and vibrant that all form of fatigue quickly left him. Screw sleep, it was Saturday tomorrow and this wasn't Japan, which meant no school for him. He could stay up for as long as he wants so long as all he'd taken care of all of his schoolwork, which he had.

"Hm? Are you okay?" Oh, right. She introduced herself and it was customary that he did too. Shaking his mind free of any other silly thought and forgetting about his earlier distaste, he chuckled, making _'Alice'_ blush light pink.

He felt the corners of his mouth lift up into a smile.

"Shun Kazami. Pleasure's all mine."

_**-000-**_

_**-00-**_

_**-0-**_

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><p><em><strong>Written-Sin:<strong> Usually I'd ask to leave a review, but at this point I've stopped caring... Won't be posting much Bakugan fics anymore anyway..._

**Naigus:** _You are being rather bitter about this._

_**Written-Sin:** Not really... I just don't have the time or patience to write something that I'm slowly losing interest in._


	2. Educational Mishaps

_A/N: I think people misunderstood when I said that I won't be writing much Bakugan fanfiction anymore... I didn't mean I'd stop. I won't be making much of them, but I won't stop..._

_Oh, and kudos to anyone who figures out the name of the anime character that made a cameo appearance in this rewritten chapter. _

_**Hint:** the show this guy comes from is from an anime that involves 'tops'._

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><p><em><strong>02. Educational Mishaps<strong>_

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><p><strong>-000-<strong>

Early Monday morning, exactly two days after that Friday night's incident. Small desk clocks roared their alarms, waking anyone who was within range of its shrill rings or loud buzzing and beeping. Lethargic bodies would either groan in displeasure of hit the floors after being forcefully pulled out of their sweet and wonderful dreams. These rude morning wakeup calls signified the start of the five day perdition of any adolescent's life. The new beginning for an entire week's worth of hell that can send a shiver up any one's spine. The weekend was over and so was every student's short vacation away from school.

Every student including Shun Kazami.

"Saturday and Sunday off isn't enough." Muttered the bedraggled Asian as he covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a yawn, mouthing off to himself about how many others would agree with him if anyone had heard him at all. The sun shone brightly through the windows of the classroom, illuminating the room's only occupant who sat in the fourth row next to the window itself. It was early, too early actually. And thank God that no one was stupid enough to come to class this early. There was no one to even dare try and ask him about why exactly he was wearing an incredibly depressing scowl on his face, nor to ask why he seems more unkempt that he usually does. Not that anyone would even dare to.

The time itself however, explained Shun's bitterer than usual attitude and his need to openly complain about things that he's never had any problems putting up with before. But he couldn't help it today.

Today's circumstances made it imperative that he avoid Dan. He had this strange feeling in the very bottom of his gut that was telling him to do so.

Things didn't end on that one Friday night. In the span of two hours that he'd spent talking to that girl, he'd managed to get her e-mail address, cell phone number; she even gave him her home phone number of all things! The very next day, other than his usual training routines, and those two hours that he'd wasted trying to tutor his best friend in math; his evening had been spent in front of the computer screen, talking to _Alice._

He never spoke a word of it to Dan. How the brunette even found out that he was taking an interest in actually opening himself up to someone else other than to him was beyond Shun.

He never even dropped him a hint.

The next day, Sunday morning to be precise, his landline and cell phone never stopped ringing and he had to barricade all entrances to his apartment, all because of one hyperactive brunette who could never leave his social life be. Dan. The whole ordeal had lasted for a good thirty minutes, until one of his neighbors had intervened. Dan must've been terrified to the point of soaking his pants because Shun swore that the rug in front of his door was definitely **not** dry…

Either that or someone spilled beer all over it.

Shun couldn't blame the brunette if it was the former. Said neighbor was a frightening man. He was a tall and muscular male in his early twenties whose gray eyes were almost always masked by either red or light purple contacts. Even his hair was intimidating, two shades, dark gray and black. And if all that failed to warn anyone, then the scars that covered his arms were like billboards advertising to anyone who has the will to live to not mess with this man.

"_Please let me go man! I didn't mean to disturb anyone! I jus-!"_

"_Shut the hell up… Damn, you're even more annoying than Tyson…"_

"_But-!"_

"_Kid, I__** will**__ fuck your face up if the girl sleeping in my apartment wakes up."_

…

He was sure that even Dan got the message not to come back after a few, poorly disguised death threats like that.

At least, Shun hoped so.

…

He groaned and leaned back against his chair, knowing that he was going to have an incredibly tough time sidestepping his best friend. There was no one out there who was better than Dan when it came chasing Shun around. He was much like an annoying dog owner who kept pestering a poor disgruntled puppy that didn't want to have anything to do with him and unfortunately for the dark-haired teen, he was that puppy.

Damn it.

The sound of heavy footsteps began to echo throughout the corridors as students who feared being caught the first bell of the day came rushing in. The sound of chatter and hurried footfalls drew Shun's attention, making him turn towards the classroom's entrance, watching with little interest in his eyes as it opened and a flood of teenagers entered the room. All of whom were in hurry as to avoid being scolded if ever their professor were to arrive on time for once.

Very few took notice of his presence, just how he preferred it.

As the first bell rang and everyone took their place in their respective seats, Shun turned towards the window once more and took one last look of the early morning sky before dropping down to look at the courtyard to see if anyone had the unfortunate luck of being late.

His eyes widened.

Right outside, running like the lazy, oversleeping idiot that he is, was Dan Kuso.

"Crap."

"Mr. Kazami… Would you like to tell us what you find so interesting outside that you would cuss in my class?"

Double crap.

**-000-**

Halfway through the day and he still saw no sign of Dan coming after him. Not even a grand entrance that involved bursting through the classroom doors and asking an overly embarrassing question. At this, Shun sighed in relief and began to ease relax in his chair, thinking that Dan might have given up his attempt to find out what he wanted to find out. He didn't even bother listening to Mr. Bennett, the teacher in front, who was explaining how to solve the math problem he himself had written on the board.

Shun had his own goddamn problems!

Besides, not like anyone else was paying attention anyway. The blonde sitting in front of him was touching up her makeup for heaven's sake and the noise inside the room itself hinted that more than one pair of students were talking.

Either Mr. Bennett was blind or those black, thick-framed glasses were just for show.

"Okay…" Mr. Bennett turned to the class, a full smile gracing his face. He looked proud for some odd reason that was completely lost on Shun. Seriously, could he not see how many faces there were planted on the desks?

"Any questions? Because if there are then I'd be hap-" He was cut off by the lunch bell as it roared. Anyone and everyone perked up and made a mad dash for the door, leaving Shun and Mr. Bennett all alone in the room which, of course, led to the overzealous teacher to direct his attention on him.

Uh-oh.

"Ah!" All of a sudden Mr. Bennett's face was pressed close to his, making the disgruntled teen jump out of his seat in shock, how the man even made it past so many desks so quickly was a complete mystery. The teacher's glasses gleamed and his voice was overflowing with happiness as he tried to hold himself back from hugging his student, his favorite student.

"Does that mean-! Oh how wonderful! I knew an ace student like you would understand the joys of learning!" The man began to clap his hands, twirling around in the room like a chimp on drugs and other forms of illegal medication. It was really starting to terrify Shun.

"Oh happy days!"

Shun took a step back. If there was anything that he understood here it was that Mister Zachary J. Bennett was one crazed fruit loop. Somewhere inside that brilliant mind of is was a screw too loose that was just waiting for it to be given the final nudge for it to fall. Give him terror teachers everyday but keep ones like Mr. Bennett away from him. Even his grandfather wasn't as crazy as this.

"Come Shun Kazami! Let us explore the wonders of math toge-!"

"No thank you." His voiced out nonchalantly. Before the estranged teacher could even stop his little dance of joy, Shun had grabbed his bag and snuck past him. He was out of the room in four seconds flat.

"…Eh… Oh-! Um…" Mr. Bennett's shoulders slumped as he watched the door close behind Shun. He looked defeated and somewhat melancholic. Like a beaten up dog on left to fend for itself out in the streets.

But that was for only a second.

"Okay! Some other time then!" He waved towards the door, dismissing Shun's haste for something else.

Truly there was no other teacher out there who was as enthusiastic and completely bonkers as this man was.

**-000-**

"That was a little too close." Too close. If the man wasn't a teacher that could give him a failing grade in one snap of a finger then Shun was sure that he would have punched him. Men had limits when it came to the intrusion of their personal space. One that was so pent up with his frustration and urge to hit something could only take so much. With quick steps he weaved through the sea of students. He wasn't going to have lunch, but he was eager to get away from the noise and possibly hide somewhere where a certain friend wouldn't be able to find him.

Hopefully. He wasn't going to answer to anything today; most especially not to Dan's ceaseless-

"Hey!"

…

…

"…" He didn't even dare turn his head to see who it was that tried to call his attention. He knew that voice all too well. There was no mistaking it.

No other man was loud enough to call his name in a place where noise drowned out everything else.

Not wanting to waste another precious second, Shun kicked it off into high gear, sprinting towards anywhere that could free him of the menace that was Daniel Kuso in the need for some dirt.

He shoved away anyone that blocked his way, ducking, and avoiding anything and anyone that could possibly hold him back for more than the short amount of time it could take for Dan to get to him.

"Get back here Shun!" This was bad. Really, really, **really** bad. He could still hear Dan, coul hear everyone yelling an telling the two of them to stop running in the halls and shoving people aside.

That could only mean that the brunette was close. Crap. Why did there have to be so many people in the halls today of all days?

"Shun!"

He snorted as he kept on running. For the sake of his pride and his reputation, he kept on running. He was sure that if Dan were to catch him something bad and incredibly embarrassing was going to happen.

"I'm not stupid enough to follow that order, Dan!"

But lady luck wasn't on his side today. When was she ever? Before he could even register what was happening, Shun found himself falling face first onto the tiled floor, arms wound tightly around his waist and a head in between his shoulder blades.

What?

WHAT?

…

Dan was- He was tackling him? And on a tiled floor no less!

"Gotcha!" Roared the brunette triumphantly.

The fall wasn't the most pleasant experience that he's ever had. Dan's added weight just made it ten times worse.

"I knew getting tackling lessons from Jake was a great idea!" Stated Dan with fists pumping into the air as he straddled Shun by the waist.

"Get off me Dan!" Shun began to squirm, pushing his hands against the floor below him in a futile attempt to get back up to his feet.

"No way!" Screamed Dan as he tightened his legs' hold on the flailing teen's waist in a way that made their silent female spectators swoon.

The two of them were beginning to attract unwanted attention now. Shun could just glare at all the girls and guys that were giving them dirty looks. What the hell did they think they were doing anyway?

"Dan, get off!" He all but growled as he tried to kick the hyperactive brunette off of him. Still, the hold around his waist showed no signs of loosening. This was, by far, one of the most humiliating positions that he's ever gotten himself into. No one wanted to see two **male** senior students down on the ground like that. It just looked so... Wrong. Combine that with the fact that rumors about Shun being gay have been circulating around recently.

"Dude! She said that you exchanged cell numbers! You never do that with anyone! Hell, it took me months to get your number! And you looked ready explode when I introduced you to Julie, Runo, Marucho and Joe! What the hell gives man?"

Oh great. So Shun was right all along.

Great, just so goddamn great.

Now his sarcasm was starting to kill him.

"None of your goddamn business! Now get off!" Shun began to kick again, only this time they were harder and judging from the yelp he heard and his waist suddenly being left bare when one of his kicks connected, he was sure that it wasn't a very pleasant place that he'd hit. He just hoped Dan wouldn't blame him if he somehow ended up impotent. "O-ow…"

Leaving Dan to writhe and curl up into a tight ball on the ground, Shun stood up and began to smooth away the creases that the fall had left on his tan pants and white shirt. Even the dark green choker that wrapped itself around his neck was askew. "Dammit. Thanks a lot, Kuso."

"I didn't know that… you liked pretty girls…" For the second time that day, Shun's eyes widened at his best friend. It was surprising that he could still form words for someone who just got kicked in the groin.

"W-what? Did you hit your head or something?" His voice broke as he tried to defend himself.

"Dude." Dan called out playfully and grinned as he looked up at Shun. He winked and gave him a thumb up before snickering like mad. "Way to go man!"

This earned him a kick to the stomach. Which earned him a sympathetic wince and hiss from the students who were watching them. Everybody knew that Shun had strong legs. He didn't set the school record for the school's hundred meter dash for nothing.

"I-I'll try to… S-set you up… With her again soon… Buddy." Dan said in-between groans, watching with half-lidded eyes as his so-called 'buddy' began to walk away from him.

"Shut up, Dan."

_**-000-**_

_**-00-**_

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><p><em><strong>Written-Sin: <strong>_College is tough... And I should be studying right now...__


	3. Heart to Ears Conversations

_**A/N: **Took out a lot of things and added a whole lot more. I kind of like how it turned out._

_Also, no one bothered to guess who our mystery cameo was? What a shame..._

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><p><em><strong>03. Heart to Ears Conversations<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>-000-<strong>_

It was safe to say that things didn't fare any better after their little episode in the corridors.

Truthfully, things with Dan that day just seemed to get even worse.

It wasn't the guilt that ate at him at the thought that his friend could become _sexually impaired_ because of him, it was the guy's constant pleas for forgiveness and his inane prodding as to why he would do such a thing someone he has spent almost his entire life with, all while clinging onto his leg and shedding crocodile tears. Though the situation itself did not bode well for Shun, giving Dan the cold shoulder did help him maintain his cold and collected reputation in front of everyone in the campus. That didn't mean that Dan would give up though.

With years of experience backing him up, the brunette barely gave him any room to breathe; going as far as following him inside one of the cubicles in the men's bathroom even. Much to the reclusive teen's embarrassment. For the rest of the day, it was just Dan mindlessly pestering Shun. Forcing and driving the unfortunate teen up against the wall that kept his sanity intact. It didn't really help that the school bell had rung an hour ago, leaving him with someone who had all the time in the world before dinner time.

"Dude, we've been at it for hours! Can't you just get over it and talk to me again?" He whined oh so very loudly. Not a very good idea when the very table he sat at happened to be located in the one place in the campus grounds that required absolute silence.

The Library.

Fortunately, the librarian had gone out to get some air.

"Seriously Shun! You've been giving me the silent treatment for a while now! Even you weren't this quiet when I tried to get to you during gym!"

"Hmph…" Shun himself would've loved to point out the fact that he'd tripped him during a basketball game but Dan wouldn't stop talking if he did that. The lack of noise other than that coming from the book that covered Shun's face whenever he turned a page was extremely unnerving. He frowned, a frown that one would never think possible for someone like him. If there was anything that Dan Kuso hated more than mother's constant attempt at babying him in public, it was this.

He hated being ignored. As a young boy back in Japan, his parents have never failed to shower him with attention. His friends would praise him for being able to beat them at almost any game at any given time of the day and his aunts, uncles, practically any living, breathing relative of his out there would coo at how adorable he was and how he'd grow into a fine young man or how unbelievably healthy his appetite was. This, of course, successfully gave him an ego the size of Tokyo and Yokohama combined. So when he met that little dark-haired boy that he never knew would become his future best friend… He made it his goal in life to try and best him at anything after that embarrassing defeat he suffered to the young lad during a game of softball, and possibly gain his praise and attention when he does.

Sad to say that the only thing in this world that Dan had ever beaten Shun in was something that Shun himself didn't want to be troubled with. Something he never even tried to compete in with Dan.

Socializing.

So far that one victory was… Unsatisfying. It wasn't sweet at all like how others would describe it. It tasted like the ash, searing hot ash that came from a cigarette during that one time that he'd tried to smoke and he actually placed the wrong end into his mouth.

How he even became close enough to be even called a friend by Shun was actually lost on him. He was the only one after all. And to someone like Dan who has been surrounded friends and people all his life, Shun's lack of enthusiasm for getting to know his fellow men, and women, sounded like a painful and lonely existence. Like he was this huge blip on everybody's radar but he continually denies his own existence to the world and to himself.

He hated to admit it just as much as he loved to stick it in his best friend's face, but despite his obvious popularity and lack of physical flaws, Shun was lonely.

Which was why he wouldn't relent when Shun kept denying his invitation to join him in an online chatroom that one Friday evening. He wanted to try to put some color in that black and blue world of his. But even when he managed to persuade him, certainty that Shun would even put any effort into letting someone else into his quiet world was close to zilch.

What he didn't expect however, was the little e-mail he got from Alice the next morning. At first he thought it was a letter that would speak of her disappointment for forgetting her, a suspicion that terrified him to no end. But… The content itself was so shocking to Dan that he looked as if the girl had just sent him a picture of the infamous _goatse_ that shocked the entire world.

It was like that one time during gym when their teacher felt generous enough to let them play dodge ball and he accidentally got hit square in the face with a sweaty, grimy, fetid ball. He never saw it coming, and it was as painful as it was shocking.

'…_Shun was really nice and fun to talk to…"_

That one sentence made him forget and ignore what the rest of the letter had to say.

Really? Seriously?

She actually got him to talk without the great Daniel Kuso's presence?

Realizing this, Dan's facial muscles began to twitch sporadically as he tried to process just how impossible or possible that was.

He thought about it, **really **thought about it, but couldn't come to one conclusion that didn't lead to that one thing that could be considered as a form of taboo for the one and only Shun Kazami.

Never before had he considered something like that could be associated with his best friend, he couldn't even picture it.

But…

Is it true?

"Dude!" His voice along with the sound of both his palms slapping unto the wooden table boomed and the chair he previously sat upon dragged at the purple carpet of the library, causing the chair to fall back on itself and produce a muffled thud as it came crashing down onto the carpeted floor. The initial outburst itself caused the leather-bound book in Shun's hand to fly a good distance behind him, the shock causing him to topple back and fall back flat, together with the chair, onto the floor. Shun's arms were splayed out above his head and his legs had risen comically in a letter V position as he tried his best to figure out what in the world just happened to him and why the hell was he staring at the ceiling all of a sudden.

…

A few moments of silence came over them; silence that, at this moment in time, was not really something that either of the two boys would ask for.

"W-what the hell?... Dan!"

"You're actually serious about her!"

"What?" The dark-haired teen yelled in replied. Once more did he start to feel that strange itch to just get up and strangle the brunette for being so confusing and annoying.

"You're actually serious! The hell? I never thought that I'd ever see the day that you'd actually like someone, like really, really like someone! And she's a girl too! Not even the girls in your class could make you look at them, let alone get you to talk! Oh this is so rich! Wait 'til I tell the guys at-!"

"SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY!"

…

…

Without much warning, Shun found the wrinkled face of the librarian in his line of site and Dan found himself staring at that unbelievably hairy mole on her face... Now that wasn't a very good sign.

She was looking down at Shun, arms on her hips with a very unhappy look on her face. All of a sudden, she leaned down closer, and Dan could see how fast Shun took notice of that hairy mole right above her left nostril instead of those seething, demonic eyes of her.

"I expect such noise from Mr. Kuso, but you Mr. Kazami?... I thought better of you…"

"But I-!"

"Damn, Mrs. Molleston! Is it just me or does that mole keep getting bigger?"

A flying, hardbound record book was all that Dan got as a reply.

_**-000-**_

Contrary to popular belief, Russia wasn't always covered by a thick layer of snow. On winters yes, but the rest of the seasons were much more forgiving, beautiful even. Just like now for example.

Outside there was nothing but lush greenery as far as the eyes could see with flowers of all shapes and hues scattered about across the expansive carpeting grass around her home. The trees that towered over her humble little abode were healthy with trunks so thick that even the burliest of lumberjacks would find it difficult to take one down with or without the help of a chainsaw.

Yes, Alice was indeed happy here, surrounded by the beauty that was Mother Nature at its purest.

However, the solitude was often, if not always, strained.

She wasn't completely alone, no. Her grandfather didn't live very far from her; his mansion was just a good ten minute walk from her house, fifteen minutes if the path leading to it was covered in snow. But despite, her grandfather's doting tendencies, he often chose work over her, so that leaves Alice to find different ways of entertaining herself, one that usually involved cleaning an alphabetizing the beakers and chemicals in his lab respectively.

Even her usual trips to the market weren't at all exciting, she met and talked with the sales ladies yes, but anyone her age was usually too intimidated, or distracted by her beauty, name and kindness to actually come up to her and say a word or two of greeting.

For so long, she wished to be around others, but being homeschooled and living in the suburbs of Moscow in a huge, privately owned plot of land and being the granddaughter of one of the most intelligent men in the country, it was almost impossible; which was why she happily took the advice of her aunt to join a few online friend sites, if only to keep her from losing what little social life she had left.

At first she'd felt a little awkward doing so. The prospect of befriending someone when you couldn't even speak with them face to face worried her dearly, but no sooner had she met her first online friend did she soon find out that it wasn't so bad.

Runo, or so she'd introduced herself over the screen, became Alice's best friend and recurring confidante. She also became the bridge that connected Alice to countless other people, and to last Friday, and Saturday, night's introductions and conversations.

"_Hey Alice! You remember Dan don't you?" _Runo had asked her out of the blue one day, three days before Friday.

"_Yes, why do you ask?"_

"_Well~. I was wondering if you'd like to join us on a chatroom three days from now! You know… We'll meet his friends, he'll meet mine? We promised each other that we'd each bring three and I want you to be one of those three!"_

"_I don't know Runo… I promised my grandfather that I'd help him label some of the chemicals in his lab on that day and…"_

"_It's okay! Just log on when you're done! It doesn't matter how late you are because we'll be on for a really, really long time!"_

"_But I-."_

"_Okay! See you again on Friday!"_

And so ended their conversation and somehow, Alice found herself marking that very date on her calendar the next morning.

Friday sparked her sudden infatuation with the only person that she'd actually had the chance of meeting that late in the morning.

_"Shun Kazami. Pleasure's all mine."_

A pleasure it was indeed. The mere twitch of his lips and that light laughter that came from his throat gave her face a light dusting of pink; it didn't hurt to mention that his appearance wasn't at all unpleasant.

Scratch that.

He was handsome. And his eyes were more beautiful and expressive than the bland and repetitive gray and blue that she's seen in town.

No wonder their conversation lasted far longer than she'd intended it to. She could barely even find it in herself not to tell him anything about her.

"_So you're living with your grandfather?"_

"_Um… Yes, that's about right. Although not under the same roof, per se…"_

"_Funny. I used to live with mine as well. I left though… He wasn't very keen on the idea but I got him to agree to send me off anyway, but not without a few consequences… He may be old, but he's as strong as an ox still."_

"_So I'm guessing you had to fight him physically to get your way?"_

"_Yeah."_

She laughed then and continued to do so for the remainder of their conversation and the next one they had the day after that.

She'd felt so lively for the entirety of Sunday that, when her grandfather noticed the change in her demeanor from gentle and reserved to bubbly and exuberant, the man couldn't sway off the temptation of asking her what happened.

Her reply of having met a nice boy almost gave him a heart attack before igniting that fire in his eyes that screamed and roared terrifying war cries of an old man who wishes to keep his beautiful granddaughter safe from the evil clutches of adolescent boys.

Alice didn't even know why he bothered to ask where said boy lived; he'd have to book a twelve hour flight just to get there anyway.

_**-000-**_

"That Mrs. Molleston sure was harsh! No wonder her husband left her!" Dan said, nursing a sore and bleeding nose as they walked home right after their little encounter with the dreaded Librarian of Bayview High.

"She's a widow Dan… Her husband died long before they could even think about getting a divorce…"

"Yeah! Like I said, no wonder her husband left her! The devil must be better company than that old hag!" True enough, Shun couldn't help but agree with him on that one. He'd much rather choose hell than to spend a day under the gaze of Mrs. Molleston. But still, he worried just how much trouble Dan could get into with that loose tongue of his.

"One day Dan… One day someone's going to think about cutting off that tongue of yours and it wouldn't have to be me… No matter how much I want to do it myself."

"Yeah, it'll be that scary Russian guy living next door to you…"

"… You're afraid of Kai?"

"No, I freakin' fangirl over him and want to have his babies…"

"…" That statement was met by nothing but silence and a step backward from Shun, that of which, was replied to by Dan with an annoyed expression.

"Of course I'm scared of the guy! Dude, did you not see those scars? I swear that guy's been in more knife fights than you and I have been in a fist fight! And those face tattoos! I mean, what sane guy does that to his own face? He even threatened to fuck me up so badly that no one would recognize me! "

"That's entirely your fault, you know? You didn't exactly choose the best time to try barging into my apartment... The guy had his girlfriend over, I was practically up all night because of what those two were doing-."

"I didn't know you liked listening in on people having sex."

For the umpteenth time that day, Dan found himself getting hit in the most painful way possible.

_**-000-**_

_**-00-**_

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><p><em><strong>Written-Sin:<strong> Read and Review people..._


	4. Uncivilized Discourse

_**A/N:** Hell week is hell..._

_Also, here's a list of people that made a cameo in this chapter. (Also added in the nationalities that I've chosen for them just for everyone to see just how much of an international bunch these guys are.):_

_**Hydron** - Greek_

_**Chris** and **Soon** ((Guess where they were in this chapter. They'll appear again soon.)) - British_

_**Klaus** ((Vaguely mentioned, but will appear again soon.)) - German_

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><p><em><strong>04. Uncivilized Discourse<strong>_

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><p><strong><em>-000-<em>**

**_-00-_**

"Owwwwwwwwww… My handsome face…"

"I told you I'd hit you if you didn't wake up so get over yourself and quit your whining already…"

"How'd you get away with that anyway? My mom was home!"

"Your mom likes me enough to let me do that, go figure." And so began their day's banter inside of a rather crowded school bus. On the outside it was a faded stereotypical yellow colored vehicle full of dents, the wheels were caked with mud; the windows were either cracked or drawn and written on with permanent markers. The inside was even worse. Noise was aplenty and it reeked of teenage body odor.

Chairs were broken, cushions ripped open to reveal their fluffy white entrails, the floor was painted by a cocktail of dirt, cola, fruit juice, vomit, and a few unmentionable body fluids. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

All in all the bus was a nasty piece of work. So nasty that even Shun wouldn't let his shoes touch its floor of more than a second. The raven-haired teen on the third seat to the right, next to the window that had Godzilla drawings scribbled all over it grimaced just as the telltale sound of an upset stomach hit his ears, followed by the stench of stomach acids and beer. Dan sat next to him, holding an icepack against a particularly red spot on his cheek, a result of this morning's wake-up call, and began to whine about physical abuse and the like.

But Shun couldn't care any less for the well-being of his friend's face; he was too peeved at today's choice of transportation that he just settled for looking out of the window just to ignore the brunette.

Sigh.

He could practically hear the shrill squeals from the slutty divas further back and the loud bragging of the jocks surrounding their seats who, up until today, still tried to put an end to his unwanted popularity. Why Dan wasn't bothered when just about everything about that little bus ride was grating on his nerves he would never know.

The noise, the dirt, the grime, the smell... The rest of the teens who sat in pairs who were obviously trying not to get caught as they tried to do a dirty quickie on the moving bus...

He shuddered and felt like he was about to gag and disgorge his own breakfast right then and there.

"You alright, Shun? You look pale…"

"Thanks to you, jackass…" At that, Dan's head snapped towards him, shocked and feigning hurt in a manner that made him look like a drama club reject, palm atop the heart included…

It didn't work, sadly. So he just opted to verbalize his reaction instead.

"Dude! What the hell is up with you? You've been acting like a douche since yesterday!"

"And, to be fair, yesterday was entirely your fault…"

"Like hell it was!" Dan's outburst made things worse, for lack of better words. There was nothing more annoying than the migraine-inducing noise of an overcrowded bus, it was more noise….

Something that Dan was happily providing.

"Like hell it is."

They glared at each other, quietly daring the other to say anything more, completely forgetting the fact that they, in fact, were not the only ones inside that bus.

"Well now, look who're strutting along the gay side!"

Immediately, they ended their impromptu staring contest in favor of glaring at the brave teen that sat behind them. Who could have dared to say such lies would surely not escape from the unbridled wrath of two, testosterone powered, teen males.

"…"

"Noting to say for being caught?" He was about yay tall, if he were standing right next to Shun then one would see that his eye level matched that of Shun's shoulders, wore a pair of tacky, orange-tinted glasses, had blonde hair that was obviously bleached for it was the wrong shade, and had a fashion sense that went against the present season and to top that all off, he had a horrible Greek accent.

…

… Wonderful.

It was Hydron, the self-proclaimed_ 'prince'_ of the sophomores.

"Oh, by all means don't let me bother you! Go on ahead. You were just about to kiss, I believe?" No one could even begin to describe the look of horror on Dan's face at that statement. But, Shun being Shun, he just had to file that image in his head.

That was probably the most horrified sneer that he's ever seen his best friend make in the course of the thirteen years that they'd been together a friends.

"You-!" Dan blurted out as he rose from his chair.

The insufferable brat that was Hydron just waggled an eyebrow at the brunette, taunting him in a manner that had every single male in the bus cringing and almost made Dan, and Shun, want reach over and wring his neck. "Oh yes, little old me. Sorry, but if you want me to join you then I'll have to pass. I don't exactly _swing_ that way."

"Shut the hell up you blonde little-!"

Before Dan could even hope finish his sentence, the small of his back collided with the back of the chair that had been in front of them. But this time, it was by no means caused by the black-haired teen beside him, nor was it by the fault of anyone else that was present. The pain that shot through every nerve of his body forced him to double over, almost in tears, forehead stuck to the chair that his ass had previously warmed, hands clutching tight at the tightly wound faux-leather of the seat cushions in a futile attempt to override the pain.

How the brunette wanted to scream.

The bus had skidded to halt thanks to a big black dog that jumped in front of it to catch a flying Frisbee and Dan could only verbalize his ire by spouting out a few colorful phrases that would make even the most foul-mouthed rappers seem like model citizens. Going on and on about how fucking painful it was and how goddamned unfair it was that Hydron didn't find himself falling face first into the embrace of the bus' putrid, rattrap of a floor.

"Ow..."

Of course everyone, except for Shun had laughed. As much as he found that Dan deserved something like that done unto him, Dan was still his closest friend and he wasn't about to laugh together with a pompous, second year brat at what had just happened to the only person that he's ever considered a friend.

He opted to just scold him without seeming all that uncaring about his suffering instead.

"That was the world telling you that he's not worth picking a fight with Dan…" He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at Dan's body that was crouched over his their seat, then to Hydron who was still laughing his head off while keeping a hand on the metal railings of the back of one of the seats, and then to Dan again.

...

He waited for the bus to start moving before he stood up and turned his body enough that he was facing Hydron.

Dan managed to groan out painfully. "Kick his ass, Shun…"

_With pleasure._

Without warning and even a basis for his sudden anger, Shun grabbed the young Greek by the furry collar of his jacket, leaning over Dan and painfully yanking at the cloth, enough that it had the younger male yelping in a manner that sounded more feminine than masculine as he was pulled towards the ebony haired teen with a force that literally pulled the breath out of him.

"What are you-!"

**Crack.**

Everyone winced, everyone gaped. Hydron was now sprawled on top of an unfortunate pair of juniors that just happened to be sitting within the trajectory of his fallen body, said juniors, though female and not really having such a strong dislike for the sophomore, had thrown him off of them and onto the waiting embrace of the floor. "My word! Pay attention to where you're falling!"

The loud thud that his body made as it made contact with the flooring echoed throughout the bus. None dared to make a sound and all eyes were directed towards the senior that had taken out a student that had been two years beneath him all because said sophomore had pissed said senior off.

It wasn't much of surprise to some as Shun had done the same to a German, graduating Senior last year when he was still a Junior, but for newer students, it was definitely not something that they expected from the usually calm and collected teen.

They did not expect him to hit someone who was two years below him, period

...

"Holy crap..." Someone with a weak voice had said.

Shun did not fuck around when serious, and to say that they pitied Hydron for not learning the first few times that it had happened to him was just stupid.

No one would pity such a masochist.

With his nose broken, Hydron couldn't help but sputter and flail around as the realization that he'd been hit, literally, had hit him and Shun was looking rather peeved that he now had the brat's blood on his right hand's knuckles.

The Asian, feeling rather proud and content, he looked back down at his best friend who was still doubled over the cushion of the chair. "You owe me, Dan"

"Y-yeah… Thanks buddy…" He groaned in appreciation, lifting is head up partially to take a peek at how pathetic the younger male may have looked.

This time, it was Dan who was laughing.

_**-000-**_

"Okay like, spill! What do you use to make your skin look so vibrant and your hair look so shiny and silky?"

"I- uhmm…"

She had difficulty in describing a conversation like this. Never mind the fact that she couldn't care less about feminine products, but how everything seemed to turn towards these aforementioned abominations of womankind, she would never want to know.

"- No way! Like, I am so not totally going to believe that you're using just any kind of shampoo!"

She felt a migraine coming.

"What about your lips?"

"My-… L-lips?"

"Yeah! They look so glossy and soft! What do you use, COVERGIRL, or something that can only be bought there? If it's the latter then can you send me a box?"

_Oh dear lord._

"Actually, I don't-."

_Please make it stop._

"Oooohhh~. You want to keep it a secret, don't you? You have a special boy that you like to try it on huh~?"

_This is torture._

"No I don't and really, I don't use any-."

"Like I said, I am, like, totally not going to believe that you look that pretty and not be using some kind of special cosmeti-!"

"Shut up!"

She yelled at the screen, taking in the expressions of the two people that had left her out of their awkward little conversation.

"Like, you don't have to be so loud Runo!"

"You're one to talk! You're voice is so loud that I'm surprised that my monitor hasn't cracked!"

"Ah, I'm not loud!"

"Julie? Runo?"

"Yeah you are!" She yelled back, feeling a little immature for once and actually standing up from her chair and slamming the palms of her hands onto the desk in front of her. Seriously, the white-haired girl was just so infuriating with all her talk of beauty products and things that were the living embodiment of 'cuteness' and 'hotness'. Was it too much to ask for a normal conversation, something that didn't involve any kind of make-up and lotion?

"Well, so are you!"

"Urgh! If I could, I'd come over there and strangle you!"

"You're welcome to try you Miku impersonator!"

"WHAT?"

"Ladies, please! Calm down! My grandfather is downstairs!"

Runo Misaki was not anyone's average type of girl. If anything, she hated being referred as such, even just referring to her as such is enough to get in under her skin. She hated the kind of girl that Julie was, loved the understanding ones like Alice who, not only tried to understand, but would try to be the mediator for her and anyone else that called her something that she found unpleasantly degrading…

Such as now…

She really needed Alice to pitch in now.

How much longer she had before she said something that she should, but would not care to regret...

"You are so going to get it when I find a way to make you suffer all the way from here in Japan you white haired, sexually addicted bimbo!"

... Absolutely zero seconds.

"Runo! Don't say things like that!"

"Oh that is it! You know what? Go ahead and keep your little beauty secrets! I am out of here and the next time we do a little face time, I'll look prettier than two of Alice combined!" Julie's box closed the second after she'd said that, gracing the two girls with the silence that they'd been asking for from the start.

Now that it was only her and Alice, the latter seeming a little dazed because of what the former had thrown at the currently absent Julie and because of what had just transpired before her, Runo took the time to catch her breath.

That was quite a workout for the lungs... On the other hand, she felt quite victorious, a smile tugged along the corners of her lips as she sat back down on her swivel chair, propping her chin up above her fingers as a mischievous grin spread across her features.

"So…"

Alice could only imagine what she was about to say.

"How was he? Dan told me that you liked him~." Somehow, the Russian already knew who she was talking about.

_**-0-**_

_**-00-**_

_**-000-**_

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><p><em><strong>Written-Sin:<strong> Please read and review._


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